Virtual Love
by FlowerofAdversity
Summary: A continuation of "Equation of Love", and a look into the characters' futures.


Virtual Love  
  
Note: Another Code Lyoko fan fiction. This story picks up where "Equation of Love" left off. Jeremy's materialization program has been a complete success, but College has kept him and his friends busy. In other words, Aelita hasn't been able to return to Earth for years now. Fortunately, XANA has been remaining quiet until just recently. The electrical devices of the campus have begun acting strangely lately. This could become a problem because the devices are taking on a life of their own. Jeremy mails his friends they make a trip back to the old boarding school where the super-computer and scanners are. Their old friend Coach Jim (who prefers to be called "Jimbo" by his friends), has been keeping it in tip- top condition while they have been away. He is part of "the team". Things get out of hand when XANA takes Aelita hostage... Will Odd, Yumi and Ulrick be able to save her and shut XANA down for good so Aelita can return to Earth for good ?  
  
Chapter 1—Electrical Disturbance  
  
Jeremy and his friends had been separated since they started going to different colleges in Canada, but they kept in contact by email and by telephone conversation. Even though the four friends were far away from one another, they had retained their tight friendship wherever they were and no matter what was happening. But recently, happenings around Jeremy's campus and that of his friends were all too similar. Electrical devices on each of the campus grounds were acting rather strange. No device would do what it was told to do. It seemed like the electronics had free will. Jeremy was extremely concerned. There hadn't been a generalized incident like this one since he had been in middle school. This had to be XANA's doing. He knew he had to do something, and quickly.  
  
Since everything electrical was operating on its own terms, Jeremy had to mail letters to his friends. He wasn't even certain if Aelita was in danger, but he had to get the old gang together and contact Coach Jim. Coach Jim, or "Jimbo" to his friends had been keeping the factory a secret from the boarding school which Jeremy, Odd, Ulrick and Yumi attended from prying eyes for as long as he had been a member of the team. When Jim received Jeremy's letter, he knew the others would be coming soon, and the super computer was up and running. Fortunately, the incident at the four different campuses hadn't reached Toronto. But, the news was only going to get worse when everyone was about to receive the shocking news from XANA himself.  
  
Chapter 2—XANA's Ransom  
  
Jimbo's face was wan when the four best friends met him in the old factory. "What seems to be the trouble, Jimbo old pal ?", Odd questioned, being his usual perky, comical self. "It's XANA. He means business. Setting off the electrical devices on all of your campuses was only a small sample of what XANA can do. I received a SOS message from Aelita. She's being held hostage, for a price.", Jim said, his usually lively brown eyes were devoid of any light or merriment whatsoever. Jeremy was furious, but he kept himself calm. "What does XANA want exactly ?", Yumi inquired. "I'm not exactly certain, but I think all four of you are going to have to go into Lyoko this time if you wish to save her.", Jim responded, hanging his head a little. Luckily, Jim was very adept with computers and Jeremy had taught him everything he knew. The only thing Jeremy was wishing to do was materializing her into the real world for good so XANA would no longer be a threat to the real world. However, this dream would have to wait until later, since saving Aelita was of top priority at the moment.  
  
Chapter 3—Into Lyoko Once Again  
  
As quickly as he could, Jim had set up all the coordinates to the virtual world before Odd, Ulrick, Yumi and Jeremy got into the scanners. Jeremy had to wait since there were only three scanners. This would be the first time Jeremy would be virtualized into Lyoko. The last time that he had tried, he was stuck between the virtual realm and the real world. It felt all too much like a dream, but this time, going to Lyoko would be a reality, or so he hoped. Jeremy couldn't help feeling a little pressured about being virtualized for the first time, but Jim reassured him that everything would go as planned. Jeremy's blood pressure decreased when he came to the realization that Jim was right. Before he stepped into the scanner, he handed Jim the disk with the materialization program on it. "What's this for?", Jim questioned, curiously raising a caterpillar like eyebrow. Jeremy stepped into the scanner with confidence. "Don't worry, Jimbo. I'll tell you when I want to use it.", Jeremy said. Soon, Jeremy could hear Jim's voice shouting the commands that he had said in the past. Jeremy had shut his eyes and all he could feel was the abundance of light bathing him. It was gentle and warm to his skin, and he felt as if he were floating away on a tender spring wind. Before he knew it, he had arrived in Lyoko and had taken upon the guise of a shrine master.  
  
"So you've finally decided to join us ?", Ulrick said, with a sly smirk. "Of course. You think I would leave you guys behind ?", Jeremy answered, chuckling a bit. Just then, Yumi sensed XANA's presence. "Come on out, you coward !", Jeremy yelled. XANA then appeared a being composed of darkness and pure evil. "I expected you to come with your friends, but I only want to battle you, Jeremy. I will return Aelita unharmed to you if you give me your word your friends will not assist you in any way.", XANA said, his expressionless face boring into the heart of everyone there. "How do we know we can trust you, slime ball ?", Odd asked, gritting his teeth. "Very well. Here is your Princess...", XANA responded coldly, revealing Aelita enclosed in a red, glowing ball surrounded by rampant electricity. She was unconscious, but she was not hurt. As much as Jeremy's friends hated to comply with XANA's orders, but this battle was Jeremy's alone to fight. Knowing Jeremy's knowledge of how logical computers were and that XANA was a program himself, this battle would be short lived.  
  
With the new powers he had acquired, Jeremy fought valiantly against the sinister XANA using reverse psychology and the ability of light to disable XANA's darkness. XANA was becoming weak and losing energy quickly. Before long, he slumped over, his misty form beginning to break up, like static on a television. Jeremy's friends watched in the distance, wrapped in the heroic battle and how superb Jeremy was fighting. They never knew him to be a fighter before, so they were seeing a whole new side to him. He was most decidedly more complex than they ever would've imagined.  
  
Chapter 4—XANA's Defeat  
  
With one final blast of Jeremy's spirit stick, the evil XANA shrieked in horror. Instead of Aelita in the energy ball, he was transferred into it. The others stood there, aghast, wondering how in heavens name he could've teleported XANA into his own trap. "No need for explanations now. Lyoko is going to start crumbling if we don't get out of here quickly.", Jeremy said, taking a still unconscious Aelita over his shoulder and leading the group toward an inactive tower. The others had many questions as to why this would be happening at such a time, but Jeremy was about to supply his own answers to their inquiries.  
  
"Alright, Jimbo ! Can you hear me ? It's time to run the program ! Follow my directions and do as I say. There should be no difficulty.", Jeremy said. The others knew it wasn't time to talk and continue following their fearless leader. After all, XANA had been put out of commission. XANA had formed the energy ball himself and it was unlikely that he would be breaking free from it. In fact, Jeremy's newfound powers in Lyoko had given him the advantage. It was more than likely that XANA wouldn't be a threat. But now, all that mattered was returning home in once piece.  
  
Chapter 5—Getting One's Bearings  
  
Jim had followed Jeremy's directions to the letter and everyone was being transported back to the real world by the scanners. The world of Code Lyoko had begun to crumble. Without the sinister XANA controlling every aspect of that virtual realm, it was as if it had never existed in the first place. It was sad that such a place would never exist again, but other virtual realms would in the future, and they would be safe from evil programs like XANA. Better security was being implemented all around, especially back home in Toronto. Whatever the problem had been in the past had been corrected, and everything was back to normal.  
  
Aelita had just begun to awaken. She was a little dazed and wondered what had happened, but when she saw that she was in the real world, she was overwhelmed with joy. "Jeremy, you've finally done it ! I'm so pleased !", she said, embracing him jovially. Jeremy couldn't help but blush in her embrace. It had been so long since he had seen her. She hadn't aged a day and was still as beautiful as she had always been. Jim was also quite touched at this reunion. He was sad to see the computer no longer had any use in the factory, and the same was true of the scanners and everything else. The factory would have to be shut down for good, but Jeremy and his friends had a terrific idea. "Why don't you talk to the Principal about making it into another multi-purpose room. We'll have to get rid of all the stuff in here first, or he'll become suspicious.", Odd suggested. With that said, the whole group began taking things apart and moving it out to be taken away to be recycled. Luckily, it was night, so no one else really knew what was happening except for Coach Jim and the others.  
  
Chapter 6—Returning to Toronto  
  
After the day had broken, the friends told Coach Jim goodbye and thanked him for all of his help. Aelita was especially thankful, because he had been integral in getting her into the real world safely. Aelita traveled with the four friends until they departed ways to their different campuses. Although this saddened Aelita a little, she knew she would be seeing them all again and chatting with them online when Jeremy wasn't so busy studying.  
  
In time, Aelita had become used to human life once again. She had begun attending school and learned very quickly. She was one of the brightest students the university had, besides Jeremy of course. The two friends were now even closer and had begun dating. Even Urlick and Yumi couldn't say that they had such a close relationship as Jeremy and Aelita. But, nevertheless, they were together as well, and very much in love. As for Odd, he still had his companion Kiwi. But, he was beginning to take interest in a cute African American girl named Tamica. They had only just begun seeing each other, and it was clear that romance was in the air for Odd. Times had changed for all four of them, and even though classes were murder at times, they remained close and never allowed their friendship to end.  
  
Epilogue  
  
As the years passed, College became one of the most treasured times in the four friends' youths. They went through classes so quickly that they wondered when it had really begun and how it had come to an end so quickly. XANA wasn't even a problem anymore. At times, the occasional hacker would be seen as a difficulty. But now, security measures were much more sophisticated, and hackers were punished for their futile attempts. The friends now had jobs of their own, and families to raise. Even Jeremy and Aelita had married and settled down. Aelita was very comfortable with human life, but she still had the marvelous innocence, faye spirit and curiosity of a child. She still hadn't aged, but she was becoming wiser every day. She wondered what kind of future her children would be facing. The world was such a fascinating place she couldn't wait to learn more about it. But, she had her whole life to do that. Jeremy reminded her she would have plenty of time and that the children needed to be tucked into bed as they slept soundly throughout the night. Aelita smiled and chuckled playfully. She couldn't have hoped for a more perfect life, or a more loving husband and children. It was all she had really wished for, and she was blessed beyond any measure she could portray.  
  
The End  
  
By: Elizabeth Berndt June 11, 2004 


End file.
